Organized Tours vs. Independent Travel

When deciding to travel, we are faced with the choice of whether to go with an organized tour company or do independent travel.

Organized tours have been around for a long time in various forms. The modern tour company can be traced back to 1841 when an enterprising British gentleman named Thomas Cook arranged for his local temperance society (a movement against consumption of alcoholic beverages) for a group excursion to have their next meeting at a town 12 miles away. He made round-trip arrangements to ride a relatively new innovation of the Industrial Age, the train, and provided them lunch as well. Thus began the era of packaged tours available to the masses.

Thomas Cook Tour Group

Intrepid Travel’s Moroccan’rollers

The history of independent travel, on the other hand, stretches back even further into time, to the dawn of human civilization. The movement of mankind’s ancestors, from the Neanderthals, Greek explorers, Vikings, pilgrims and conquerors, across the known world marked the beginning of human journey across the planet. Their efforts at exploring and discovery of unfamiliar terrain and environment are echoed in today’s adventurous independent travelers.

Viajera Filipina and Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir – a Norse mother who was the most traveled woman of the Middle Ages

Both forms of travel serve their own purposes. There are several factors to consider in choosing one over the over. In some ways, organized tours would be the better choice while there are other aspects where independent travel has its advantages. They key in deciding is finding which suits your needs, priorities and travel style the best.

The following tables show a general overview of each way’s strengths and disadvantages.

Planning and Itinerary

Organized Tour

Independent Travel

Company arranges for majority if not all of the arrangements, logistics, activities, accommodation, transportation. Meals can be part or optional

The traveler plans all the details of the trip

PROS

Little to no work in planning and organizing for the traveler

Completed freedom in choice of what to do, where to go and how long to stay in an area

CONS

Set programs can have limited flexibility in changing details that may not suit or be interesting for the traveler

Involves a lot of work, research, planning and coordination

Time

Organized Tour

Independent Travel

Has a specific program of activities from arrival and start of tour, time spent in each location up until end of the tour. Amount of time can also depend on the number of people on the tour.

Cost and Budget

Tour companies can generally negotiate a group rate with hotels, guides, attractions and restaurants especially those with whom they have established relationships.

You have complete control over how little or how much you spend on each aspect of your trip. You can choose to stay at a hostel then splurge on a fancy dinner.

Having a fixed package price helps you anticipate and plan most of the expenses beforehand. Most packages are to be paid in full before the trip.

You can find good deals and discount online or negotiate rates especially with small businesses

Depending on the length of the trip, the location and situation, some travelers can work while traveling to earn more funds to put towards their budget.

CONS

Little flexibility in changing amenities or details within the trip once booked.

Complete responsibility in managing and handling your budget. Need for careful planning to make your funds last for the entire trip.

Watch out for optional tours that are not part of the original package price. Also set aside money for tipping the tour leader and driver (if applicable).

May not have access to group deals and discounts

Information and Tour Guide

Organized Tour

Independent Travel

PROS

A tour leader provides information regarding the trip and helps organize the tour logistics on the ground.

The traveler is responsible for managing all transactions during the trip, including negotiations, payments and other arrangements.

She/he can also serve as a general guide who can give information about the city, region or country.

A big part of the travel experience of the group can hinge on the knowledge, expertise, personality and professionalism of the tour leader. Having a bad one can adversely impact a trip.

*Note: Local independent guides for a particular city (i.e. Paris) or attraction (the ruins of Pompeii) can be hired by the company/tour leader or by the individual traveler. These guides provide detailed historical information and insight.

Culture and Experience

Organized Tour

Independent Travel

PROS

Having a local for a tour leader or guide can give some unique and personal perspective on the place you are visiting. It is essentially having an instant local friend who knows the town well.

Because the traveler is on her own, she has every opportunity to interact soak in as much cultural experience as she wants.

If a foreign language is spoken, the tour leader can help facilitate transactions and arrangements.

A tour leader or guide can help navigate places and situations that may be daunting to a visitor, including ordering exotic food and visiting local markets.

CONS

Depending on the tour program, your exposure to and experience of the local culture may be limited to the prepared or set program or itinerary.

Interaction with locals is dependent on the traveler’s willingness to engage.

If a foreign language is spoken, there may be more difficulty in communication if the traveler is not fluent in that language.

Independence and Making Friends

Organized Tour

Independent Travel

PROS

Being part of a group gives you a built in set of friends to start your journey off. If you happen to like them, then their companionship will add value to your experience

The traveler has complete freedom to be by herself or to interact with locals and fellow travelers.

CONS

If you don’t like the members of your group, it could cause friction, inconvenience and potentially a bad travel experience.

Finding friendly people to meet is not always easy nor a guarantee. There may be some unsavory characters who may try to take advantage of the traveler.

Sometimes travel in in a tour group can limit opportunities to meet locals and other travelers if they tend to always band and stay together.

There are ways to find the balance between the pros and cons of these two ways to travel. One of them is to find a tour company whose itinerary provides a significant amount of free time in between scheduled activities, to allow for you to wander and discover a city or area on your own. Also, an independent traveler can join in short guided tours for part of their trip, in order to benefit from having the knowledge of a local guide and efficient transportation.

We have traveled both with organized tour groups and independently, and it suited us well in those situations. Some of the things we learned from these experiences include:

1. If you’re planning to join a tour group, do a thorough research on the company, read reviews and consider the general feedback given by their past clients. Get a sense of how they do business and their travel philosophy to see if they’re a good match for you. Check out the type of travelers who take their tours and see if they’re type of people you’d enjoy traveling with.

2. Read the trip notes and itinerary carefully to know what is included so that there will be no big surprises and to ensure that it meets your requirements and needs for the trip.

3. If you’re doing independent travel, utilize the information provided by guidebooks, travel blogs and magazines to craft an experience that you will enjoy. Even if you want spontaneity, you are still subject to forces such as train and bus schedules, museum closures, bad weather, political tensions, and other factors that you have to navigate and manage on your own. Plan smartly.

Do you have a preference between organized tours and independent travel? Share your experiences with us.